A/N: What hey? Back with this story? Finally got off my ass and decided it was high time to get back into it. I love Kakao, he's like a mini Japanese Kiyoshi, (without the freckles I'm afraid.) This is a first, I can't think of anything to say. Maybe I'm deteriorating into dust...or just lazy. Thanks lovely people for all your reviews! Derek, the wonderfully wonderful. Heh.

5 - Kakao's Suspisions

xXx

Kiyoshi gave his brother a confused stare as the latter lead him back to the house. Mateus stood still and he was hopeful that this was his opportunity to take a break. No such luck; Kiyoshi turned on his heel and flashed the older teen a stern look.

“You can carry on collecting wheat, or you can collect some rice!” Kye called with a somewhat cruel, but playful smile. Mateus growled to himself.

He looked over at the Paddy field next to the field he was currently in. It didn’t strike his fancy. He couldn’t be doing with wallowing through murky grey water, bending down and fishing around for slimy shoots. He’d rather add to his appalling collection of wheat grains.

xXx

“Kiyoshi, I want a word with you,” said his mother as her young son, Kakao walked through door with Kiyoshi. Kiyoshi gave a humble nod and sat down next to her. It was

more like an interrogation with a despised teacher than a conversation with your mother.

Kiyoshi’s mother wasn’t his real mother; Kiyoshi was an English child bought to Japan thirteen years ago with his family. His parents had died in a tragic mountain accident in the region that he was currently living. The woman sitting before him had been his child-minder at the time and eventually adopted him. Kiyoshi couldn’t remember what his real name was. He had always been treated like an outsider.

“Kiyoshi, I’m curious,” she said slowly in Japanese. “Is this the same Mateus that shouted rude English messages at me down the phone?”

Kiyoshi was surprised she remembered. He gave a feeble nod.

“And the same Mateus that caused you bother when you first visited? The thief?” Kiyoshi nodded again. He remembered that incident well. Mateus had made an offer to be Kiyoshi’s tour-guide round London, Kiyoshi happily agreed only to find that Mateus turned back on his offer and ran off with Kiyoshi’s money.

“Well,” she concluded with a sigh, “he'd better be working hard, because that boy has more to repay than just for his lodging.” Kiyoshi knew this already; he hadn’t expected his mother to take this lightly. She was a bit of a slave driver and reluctant to work in the fields herself.

“I have one last question, Kiyoshi-chan,” she said in an undertone. Kiyoshi’s heart jolted a little. “Is this the same boy you were residing with in London?”

The question didn’t seem implicative of anything, but because Kiyoshi knew that she was oblivious to what was really between the two boys, he couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable. It was a perfectly innocent question and Kiyoshi found it difficult to hide his uneasiness.

“Yes, he is,” he replied a little too hesitantly to be ignored but luckily his mother didn’t detect it. “He’s a very good friend, and nice when you get to know him. He can be a little arrogant at times, but uh…he’s a very nice person.”

Kiyoshi found himself getting at little carried away. His mother didn’t seem impressed in the slightest and he couldn’t see a way of going back on his words.

“Very well,” she said with a hint of sympathy in her voice. “I expect you are both tired from your journey, tell him he can come back inside and rest up.”

Kiyoshi sighed and his usual childish smile shone. His mother didn’t return it. He ran outside across to the wheat field and grabbed Mateus by the hand. Mateus looked a little surprised but smiled back none the less.

“Is that enough wheat?” he asked as the younger teen relieved him of the basket.

“It’ll do; you’re still novice.” He sighed happily and squeezed Mateus’s hand. “Look, Okaa-san says we can rest a while.”

Mateus mimicked a yell of thanks to the heavens and followed Kiyoshi eagerly to his promised rest. It was Godsend; this is what he had been waiting for.

xXx

“Kakao,” said his mother gently to her second eldest son. “How do you feel about Mateus staying here with us? Do you like him?”

Kakao seemed dazed and hardly heard what his mother was saying to him. He had just seen his brother and his friend walk through the house together. There seemed nothing wrong with it, but he wondered why Kiyoshi had his hand held loosely in the other boys’. It bothered him a little; it didn’t seem right.

“Kakao?”

“Oh, I don’t know him, Ma,” replied the young boy a little bit baffled. It was more of an automatic response.

“Well, I can’t put my finger on it,” she said more to herself. “I’m not happy about the outsider residing with us. Who knows what the village neighbors think of me. It’s a little disgraceful, don’t you think Kakao?”

Kakao just shrugged; he was in a stupor. He had never seen his brother holding hands with any other boys. It was what mommy’s and daddy’s did…

xXx

“Do you think your brother noticed us?” asked Mateus as he sat down on Kiyoshi’s bed. It was a lot lower than his own bed and not as comfortable, still, he didn’t care much.

“I’m not sure. Kakao’s naïve when it comes to things like that.”

Mateus smiled to himself; Kiyoshi was being slightly hypocritical. He remembered the first time he saw Kiyoshi and he remembered it well. He was on the bus back to the street where he lived and after finding no other vacant seat on the bus; he seated himself next to a foreigner. They weren't uncommon round London, but this one was different. He seemed extremely sheltered and found Mateus’s typical British complexion fascinating.

“Don’t worry yourself, Kakao wouldn’t notice if it was anything odd-…”

“Will your mum come in?” Mateus cut across the younger teen. Kiyoshi seemed a little bemused at the question. That was what made Kiyoshi so lovable; his smile and his lack of understanding.

“Why would she?” he said at last. He walked across the room and pulled up the sheets of his bed to climb in. Mateus gave no answer and still Kiyoshi hadn’t clicked onto why he was asking this.

Mateus shuffled across and slid his own body beneath the sheets. For the time being, they only had one bed, but Mateus didn’t mind this at all.

He ran his fingers gently over Kiyoshi’s cheek and the latter beamed. Slipping his arm round to Kiyoshi’s back, he pulled him close and whispered in his ear.

“I just don’t want her walking in on us, that’s all. It could be difficult to explain to her; and you remember what happened with Marie.” Mateus thought of his ex-girlfriend.

Kiyoshi giggled and snuggled up close, burying his head under Mateus’s chin. He gave his boyfriend a soft kiss on the neck before shutting his eyes.

The traveling, the conflict with Kiyoshi’s mother and the tiring yet pointless efforts in the field were worth it just for this. It had been a long time since Kye and Mateus had cuddled as they were now. It was what made it all complete.

xXx

Kakao twiddled his thumbs in his room. Something irked him and he couldn’t quite place the feeling. He didn’t know if he was supposed to have seen his brother and Mateus holding hands, but he had heard about something similar from one of the town folk. Kakao may be younger than Kiyoshi, but he wasn’t stupid.

It was wrong, and that’s what bothered him most. It was what mommy and daddy did. He had never imagined a daddy and a daddy holding hands…maybe this was nearly the same as that?

But whatever it was, to Kakao, it was wrong. Kiyoshi was supposed to be holding hands with girls, not boys.

xXx

A/N: Okay, so I made Kakao a little different to how I intended, but maybe you weren't supposed to know that. If anybody actually reads my author notes, you know damn well what I'm going to say next and it begins with an R. You guessed it! Makes me happy. Love and hugs and special cookies to you all. Derek